A Room to Die For

One of the joys of Devanand Shanmugam's film is that it begins so steadily, even sedately. You might even be put off by this, but stick with it. Events turn progressively darker, even if they never reach the wince-inducing depths of Mark's aspirations as a stand-up comedian (don't worry, he's supposed to be bloody awful). Mark (Michael Lieber) is a bit of an idiot, and, as is often the way of things recently, the girlfriend, in this case Jill (Loren Peta), provides the practicalities and the backbone of the relationship.

So strong is she that when the couple's new landlords, Henry (Christopher Craig) and Josephine Baker (Antonia Davies), prove to clearly be up to no good, you're surprised she doesn't cotton on sooner. Whatever, this tightly written chiller becomes progressively more weird and genuinely disturbing - nasty, even.

Another joy is the unpredictable quality of the ongoing story. You truly don't know where it is heading, but get quite a jolt when it gets there. My score is 8 out of 10.

A bit slow to start with and not overly captivating until short exposures into what is to come, flash, they keep you interested and the last half an hour is horribly good.. This film went from what seemed like it might be a monotone drab, expectedly boring film to a thriller/horror with a few rather disturbing scenes, that old man is probably going to be in my worst nightmares, I do feel disturbed for life after watching this, and psychological thrillers are my favourite genre, so.... A satisfying end, exposing how vastly different Jill was, to who she was when they first moved in with the older couple. The old man is an actor I would like to see more of, IF I can get past the hauntings of this film, he is a great actor. The main girl Jill, is really good too, she is very believable, the rest just do their jobs.

This has the squirm factor that may trigger some people, not for a family sit down!

Not a cinematic masterpiece to be sure, but I found it to be a fun watch. I like offbeat and different rather than a franchise clone. If you're expecting a traditional horror movie, then pass this up. The ratings reflect the general consensus, but some of us like unique. This isn't a ghost, zombie or vampire story, but rather, insanity inflicted on a down on their luck "average" couple struggling with finances who are willing to make compromises to survive. They decide to rent a highly affordable, furnished room in a deceptively nice old couple's home. The creep factor lies in knowing something similar could, and has, happened in the real world. There's humor in the madness as well, which made it more fun for me. The girlfriend's brother, a cliche stuffed-shirt, snobby elitist with annoying traits, is thoroughly unlikable but his cluelessness is amusing. I rooted for Marcus, the boyfriend half of the renting couple, who has big dreams of being a stand-up comedian but so far, only gigs for no pay. He made no bones about not wanting to live there, but his feelings were dismissed by his domineering, employed girlfriend because he didn't contribute financially to the relationship. Maybe he should've used the elderly landlords as his inspiration and a comedic outlet for his frustration and anger to possibly get a paid gig! I was oddly happy to see his know-it-all, controlling girlfriend in that "aha!" moment when she realized Marcus was telling the truth about the old couple, which is almost immediately obvious to the viewer. The director and actors, in my opinion, made the characters come to life with humor and creativity. I didn't detect a "this low-budget is all I can get" attitude here. They looked like they had fun and put heart into their roles. Much was done with only a few characters and a simple, yet effective, setting. This is not a film that will be remembered for greatness, and many criticize its shortcomings but again, I watch to be entertained and while it won't entertain everyone, it'll entertain some as it did for me. I like to give interesting-sounding plots and low-rated films a chance, and I'm happy I gambled on this one.

Falls somewhat short of what 'mainstream' audiences would regard as an acceptably made film, it has that 'few years out of film school' look & doing their best with what they have feel; in that regard, any film maker is to be congratulated.

However, in the real world, it's bad, bad casting, bad direction, bad extras, bad lighting, bad set dressing & unfortunately, it's not bad enough to be bad good, so it just becomes rather a drag to watch, so I skipped to the end.

Hopefully all concerned will learn from this; I just wish people would stop practising film making on audiences & get it right the first time!

In London, the aspiring stand-up performer Mark Crowe (Michael Lieber) is financially supported by girlfriend Jill Scott (Loren Peta) that works in a call center. They find a room that they can afford rent in the isolated house of the old couple Henry Baker (Christopher Craig) and Josephine Baker (Antonia Davies). Mark stays in the room expecting to write gags while Jill works but he is disturbed by the noise of the Baker's baby or by Henry. Soon there is a friction between Mark and Henry, but Jill convinces her boyfriend to stay in the place. Jill's snobbish brother Jason Scott (Ben Ellis) offers a job to Markr but he feels offended. One day, Mark snoops around in the house and discloses a creepy secret about Henry and Josephine Baker with tragic consequences.

"A Room to Die For" is a disturbing and underrated low-budget horror film with a non-chronological screenplay that gives a smart open interpretation for Jill's last scene. Loren Peta is amazing in the role of a young woman that loves her boyfriend and has a terrible fate. The veteran Christopher Craig has also great performance in the role of a creepy character. The film is graphic and not recommended for sensitive viewers. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available